Kiss Me
by DrarryForever-x
Summary: Sometimes it's best not to say anything at all.  Teddy/James Jr ficlet. One-sided slash.


**Summary: **Sometimes it's best not to say anything at all.

**Rating: **PG

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters or settings, nor do I make any profit from my work.

**A/N: **I've not been writing at all recently due to work and friends taking up my time but this is a little ficlet that I bashed out in around half an hour while listening to the beautiful "Kiss Me" by the even more beautiful Ed Sheeran.

-x-

_Settle down with me; cover me up, cuddle me in. Lie down with me and hold me in your arms. Your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed to my neck and I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet. With a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now._

"Merlin, it's freezing out there!" James choked out, shivering uncontrollably.

"Even my Warming Charm didn't help!" Teddy's teeth clattered together as he closed the front door behind them.

"Well, whose brilliant idea was it to walk home?" the younger man cried, tossing his hair and peppering Teddy's face with cold water. They traipsed into the living room, pulling off layers as the fire roared into being with a flick of Teddy's wand.

"I don't like Apparating in the snow, it's disconcerting!" Teddy said defensively. "And I was feeling a bit drunk so I didn't want to take the chance. It was only a ten minute walk!" he quickly changed the subject; he hated lying to his best friend. In truth, he hadn't touched a drop of alcohol all night for fear of what he might say, sans inhibitions. He was finding it increasingly difficult to hide his feelings, especially now that James had left Hogwarts and moved in with him while he completed his internship for the Aurors. He picked up their travelling cloaks and went to hang them by the door.

"Ten minutes?" James scoffed. "Whatever you say. Are you showering now?" he asked Teddy's retreating back.

"Nah, I'm fine. You can go ahead," the older man called over his shoulder. "I'm going upstairs."

Teddy made his way to his bedroom slowly and closed the door behind him, something that he never did. He sat on his bed, waiting until he heard the steady sound of running water before he began undressing, his mind as numb as his frozen fingers. He needed to shut these feelings down before he did something stupid which cost him not only his best friend, but his family as well. If Harry and Ginny found out how he was feeling for their son they would surely turn their backs on him, and then where would he be? A friendless, parentless photographer, living alone on the money that he scraped together from the likes of _Witch Weekly_ and the _Prophet_. No, it just wouldn't do to say anything. He had kept it to himself for two years now, it wouldn't make a difference to just keep going as he was.

He pulled off his t-shirt and shimmied out of his Muggle jeans, leaving them on the floor by his bed. He double-checked that there was no alarm set for the following morning to cut short his Saturday morning lay-in and then slid under the duvet, wincing as his flesh made contact with the cold sheets.

He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the ever-present niggle of guilt, focusing on his rhythmic breathing instead in an effort to lull himself into slumber. In, out, in, out, in, out. He noted absently that they must have been standing too close to the stage at the gig as there was an irritating buzzing in his ears. Ignoring this, he began to feel his body relaxing, his eyelids becoming heavier when there was a knock at his bedroom door and a reddish hue behind his eyelids told him that his door had been opened, light from the hall flooding in.

"Ted?"

"Jamie?" his voice was flat, his eyes still closed.

"Is everything alright?"

"Of course."

"Okay."

The light disappeared and his door closed with a snap, but instead of hearing footsteps leading away from his room as he expected, there was a groan of springs as the mattress dipped and James got into bed beside him. He still didn't open his eyes.

"Tonight was brilliant, where did you hear about that band?" he asked.

"I did a shoot with them for _Witch Weekly_. They're the Next Big Thing, apparently," he said dryly, smirking.

"Well, they're pretty good. Probably shouldn't have had so much Firewhisky though," he said mournfully. "I'm not looking forward to this hangover."

"There's potion in the bathroom, if you need it tomorrow. I had Scorpius owl some down a few days ago."

"How is Malfoy? Still a snivelling little git?"

Teddy opened his eyes at that, ready to defend his cousin but found that James was grinning. "Scorpius is fine, thank you," he replied.

James quirked an eyebrow, smirking. "Good to know that you've got your new best mate all lined up and ready to go when I leave for the Auror Academy!" he joked, jabbing the older man in the ribs.

"That's right, I won't need you or your physical abuse," he replied, grabbing the offending hand and smacking James in the face with it. "Oh, now you're hitting yourself?" he laughed as the brunet struggled against his grip. "I'm not doing anything, it's your hand! Stop hitting yourself!"

James broke free and lashed out, catching Teddy in the stomach, causing him to double up, wheezing and laughing.

"Right... right... enough," he gasped. "Truce."

James laughed and resumed his previous position. "It's going to be weird," he said after a moment.

Teddy turned to look at him. "Yeah, it'll be strange not having you here."

"No more Sunday dinners at Mum and Dad's," James said solemnly. "No more lounging on the sofa watching television."

"You make it sound like you're dying," Teddy said, trying to keep his voice steady. "It's only two years. And you'll be back for two weeks in the summer."

"I might not be dying but it's definitely the end of something," he said quietly. Suddenly, James shifted and Teddy found himself with his arms full of his best friend, a mop of brown hair tickling his face. They were silent for long moments, but when Teddy felt something wet on his chest he sat up slightly.

"Are you crying?" he asked, horrified.

"No," James said gruffly.

"Yes you are," he insisted, pulling back to inspect the younger man's face. "What's wrong? Do you not want to be an Auror?"

"Of course I do, it's what I've been working towards my whole life."

"Then what's wrong?" there was a long pause. "Jamie?"

"I'm just going to miss you," he replied, not quite meeting his eye.

Teddy swallowed heavily. "Oh. I'll miss you too."

There was movement against his chest that Teddy took as nodding.

"Okay then. If you tell anyone about this, I'll hex your balls off," James warned.

"It never leaves this room," he replied, laughing.

James looked up and met Teddy's gaze. "I'm serious!"

Teddy, not trusting himself to speak, merely nodded, his eyes still locked on the beautiful honey-brown orbs before him, so warm they were almost golden and rimmed red in an adorable show of vulnerability. He would jump off a bridge for those eyes; swim an ocean; run across a desert. James' devastating eyes searched his, apparently finding him to be trustworthy, because he allowed his eyelids to flutter shut, his head still resting on the blue-haired man's shoulder. They lay together for what seemed like an eternity before Teddy felt James' heartbeat slow and his breathing become deep and steady. He shifted slightly to roll the younger man onto the vacant side of the bed when he felt hands grip his shoulders tightly, a sound of disapproval causing him to still. The grip slackened slightly.

Teddy's breathing hitched as he felt James' head move again, this time tilting upwards towards his face. He was about to speak when a kiss was pressed firmly to the underside of his jaw. Not daring to breathe, he lay as still as his trembling body would allow.

"Night, Ted," James mumbled.

It took several steadying breaths before Teddy trusted himself to speak. "Night, Jamie."

No, Teddy thought to himself, he couldn't lose this. He would simply carry on.


End file.
